Lamp assembly



A. W. PRANCE LAMP ASSEMBLY Aug. 3l, 1937i.,

Filed March 30, 1936 NVENTOR n( Halma?.

A TTORNEY.

patented ug. 31, 1937 A UNITED STATES LAMP ASSEMBLY Alvin W. Prance, Pleasant Ridge, Mich., ass'ignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 30, 1936, Serial No. 71,582

Claims.

This invention relates to ornamental lamp assemblies adapted particularly, although not exclusively, for use in the interiors of vehicle bodies, such as enclosed vehicle bodies, and more espe- 5 cially to .a combined lamp and hand grip or assist cord assembly adapted to be mounted upon the interior wall of the body.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved lamp assembly and hand grip structure having a common mounting or supporting bracket for removably attaching or connecting the assembly to a supporting surface, and one in which the lamp casing is so constructed and arranged as to be free from any substantial strains and pulling forces exerted upon the hand grip.

' Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lamp assembly of the foregoing character in which the strains and forces applied to the hand grip or assist cord are transmitted to and absorbed by the supporting surface upon which the lamp assembly is mounted, such, for example, as the frame structure of a vehicle body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp assembly which is of comparatively simple construction, relatively few parts which are capable of easy and quick assembly, and one which can be attached to or removed from its supporting surface easily and expeditiously.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the interior or rear tonneau of a vehicle body of the enclosed type, embodying one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale and partly broken away, of the lamp assembly of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and oi' being practiced or carried out in various ways.

Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art. 5

Referring now to the drawing, the embodiment of the invention therein shown comprises an ornamental lamp assembly shown as a whole at C adapted to be removably mounted upon a wall or support such, for example, as the rear quarter 10 panel D or the adjacent door pillar of an enclosed vehicle body, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The lamp assembly C comprises a supporting bracket or mounting shown as a whole at IB, having a body portion or leg II and an angularly extending or 15 projecting portion I2, the latter having a bead or lip Illa. behind which an undercut groove is located. The outer free end of the portion I2 is provided with an eye or opening I3. The bracket I0 is preferably secured to a supporting wall or surface I4, such as a body frame member, by means of a metal screw I5,ysee Fig. 3. The lamp casing or body per se is shown as a whole at I6 and comprises a substantially round or cylindrical casing adapted to be mounted upon the panel I4 andto engage the supporting bracket or mounting I0. When applied to the wall I4 and supporting bracket, the casing remains in inclined position and conceals a portion of the bracket I0. The top edge of the casing wall is turnedinwardly at Ilb and then upwardly and outwardly to-provide anannular upright projecting flange which, as shown, is split or divided into a plurality of sections or segments I1, four such being shown. The flange I'I projects outwardly beyond the upper end of the casing walls (see Fig. 3) and provides a socket. member for receiving and supporting a cap or dome as hereinafter explained. Each of the flange sections II is provided with an external projection or lug I8. The lugs, as shown, are formed from the metal of the flange. The casing I6 has a rear wall or depending portion I9 which serves as means for attaching or mounting the casing upon the support I4. The casing is held in position upon the 4,. support by a metal screw 20 which passes through L) a'hole in the wall I9 and is threaded into the support I4. vThe support I4 is provided with an opening II4 and the casing rear wall I9 is cut away or bifurcated to provide an opening 2I. 50y The `openings 2l and H4 are in register when the casing is applied to the wall I4, see Fig. 3. The casing I6, as shown, has an interior sectional partition comprising cooperating portions 22 and 23, the portion 23 having a portion or flange 23a 55.

engaging the rear wall I9 and the portion 22 having a flange 24 which may be attached to the wall ci the casing I6 in any suitable manner, as by spot welding. The partition may be made ci" the proper size to fit snugly within the casing, in which case it is unnecessary to secure the flanges thereto. The partition is preferably aper- 'Jred to receive and support a conventional elec- .,c light socket or body 45I) having a switch (not wn) operated by a manual switch control gember al mounted for sliding movement on Ahe outer face of the casing I6, see Figs. 2 and'3. The stem or shank 52 of the switch control extends through a slot |60 formed inthe casing. The lamp socket 5) carries a lamp bulb 53.

The lower end of the casing is curved and nared outwardly at Ia, see Fig. 3, so that when the casing is assembled with the bracket I the lower edge of the casing portion Iliar engages 0 and rests within an undercut groove located behind a bead or lip Ia of the bracket. Thus thelower portion of the casing is anchored by thebracket in position upon the wall I4. The bead and groove are curved in their length to i 'i correspond to the curve'or contour of the casing portion Ita sov that the parts cooperate and nteriit, as shown.

The open top of the. casing I6 is closed by a removable dome or globe 30 formed of any "Y suitable translucent material such, for example,

i eral` sections of the iiange or socket member I'I.

When fthe dome is slipped over the socket, the sections Il thereof are compressed or flexed in.- wardly to permit the lugs to be engaged with the notches or groove formed inthe dome. After the lugs have entered and seated in the'notches or slots, the flange portions ll flex or spring outwardly to their original or normal positions and'bind against the dome vto releasably lock the parts together.

Thelamp assembly of the present embodiment of the invention may be installed upon its supporting surface or wall as follows: The bracket lil' is rst mounted upon the support I4 by means ofthe 4metal screw I5. The socket 50 and switch controlv or: operating members and 52 are as'- sembled with the casing I6. The casing is then applied to the support by inserting the flared lower edge Ia. thereof into theundercut groove behind the bead or lip Illw of the bracket, and the rear wall I9 moved into contact with the face of the wall or support I4. As seen in Fig. 3, the end of the lamp socket 50 projects through the registering openings 2| v and |I4. The metal screw is then passed through the wall IS and threaded into the support I4 to secure the lamp casingin place uponthe support and in cooperative relation with the bracket lil. The lamp b-ulb 53 is then applied to the lamp socket 50. The dome 3|) is then attached to the top of the casing by bringing'v the dome grooves 3| and lugs I8 ofthe split socket -II into cooperative relation to hold the 'dome in place uponfthe casing. It will thus be seen that it is ypossible to install the lamp assembly upon a supporting surface with ease and facility and ity is likewise possible to remove the assembly or xture from the support easily and quickly, if and when this is desired.

The eye or opening I3 formed in the exposed portion I2 of the bracket or mounting provides means for receiving and supporting a hand grip or assist cord 4|) which, as shown merely for purposes of illustration, is in the form of a leather or fabric strap. While there is shown a straplike hand grip or assist, it will be understood that any other typeof assist cord may be applied to .the exposed portion of the supporting bracket.

Any strain or pulling forces applied to the hand grip 4D is taken by the mounting or supporting bracket Il) a-ndtransrnitted thereby to the support which, in the present illustration, is the frame member of the Wall I4 of the vehicle rear quarter panel D. Thus the support or frame member I4 actually receives all of the strain and forces applied to the hand grip or assist cord 40, thereby relieving the lamp casing I6 of all such strains and forces.

From the-foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a lamp assembly which combines the feature ofl interior body lighting with means for assisting the occupant or occupants of the vehicle to rise from the vehicle seat. The lamp assembly herein illustrated is of comparatively simple construction, ornamental, relatively inexpensive to'rnanufacturev and easy to assembler and disassemble and to apply to and remove from a supporting surface, such as the frame vstructurev of a vehicle body as shown, merely by way of illustration, in the accompanying drawing.

I claim:

1. In a lamp and assist'cord assembly, a lamp casing having a back flange adapted to secured to a support, a bracket attached to said support interiorly of the casing and supporting a portion of said casingysaid bracket having a portion vlocated exteriorly'of the casing, the last namedl portion having an eye formed therein, and an assist cord extending' through said eye and secured to said'last named portion.

2; A lamp assembly for use in the interior of a vehicle body, comprising avv metal casing and a a hand hold associated therewith, said casing and hand hold being adapted to be removably attached to an upright supporting surface, and a common supporting bracket for said casing and hand hold,` said bracket having a substantially concealed base portion adapted Vto be lremovably mounted upon said supporting surface and an oiset outwardly extending exposed portion for receiving and supporting said hand hold, vsaid bracket having an arcuate groove formed therein for receiving the lower edge of said casing,A said bracket being adapted to receive pulling forces applied to' said hand hold and transmit them directly to said supporting surface whereby to relieve said casing of said forces.

3. A lamp assembly for use in the interior of a vehicle body, comprising a metal casing and ak hand hold associated therewith, said casing and hand hold being adapted to be removably attached to an upright supporting surface, and al common supporting bracket for said casing and hand hold, said bracket having a substantially concealed base portion adapted to be removably mounted upon said supporting surface and having an offset outwardly extending exposed'portion for receiving and supporting said hand hold, said bracket having a beadv and an undercut groove formed in its top face for receiving the lower edge of said casing, said bracket being adapted to receive pulling forces appliedto said hand hold and transmit them directly to said supporting surface whereby to relieve said casing of said forces, said casing being positioned in an inclined plane upon the supporting surface.

4. A lamp assembly for use in the interior of a vehicle body, comprising a metal casing and a hand hold associated therewith, said casing and hand hold being adapted to be removably attached to an upright supporting surface, and a common 10 supporting bracket for said casing and hand hold, said bracket having a substantially concealed base portion adapted to be removably mounted upon said supporting surface and an exposed portion for receiving and supporting said l5 hand hold, said bracket being adapted to receive pulling forces applied to said hand hold and transmit them directly to said supporting surface whereby to relieve said casing of said forces.

5. A lamp assembly for use in the interior of a vehicle body, comprising a metal casing and a hand hold associated therewith, said casing and hand hold being adapted to be removably attached to an upright supporting surface, and a common supporting bracket for said casing and hand hold, said bracket having a substantially concealed base portion adapted to be removably mounted upon said supporting surface and having an exposed portion for receiving and supiporting said hand hold, said bracket having a bead and an undercut groove formed in its top face for receiving the lower edge of said casing, said bracket being adapted to receive pulling forces applied to said hand hold and transmit them directly to said supporting surface whereby to relieve said casing of said forces.

ALVIN W. PRANCE. 

